Railroad torpedo setter



Oct. 30, 1945. l.. T. KIRK RAILROAD TORPEDO SETTER g sheets-sheet 1 fFiled Feb. 19, 1944 ATTDRNEYS Oct. 30, 1945. L. T. KIRK v 2,387,915

YRAILROAD TORPEDO SETTER Filed Feb. 19, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dZf/INVENToR.

AWD RNE-LYS Patented Oct. 30, 1945 UNITED .STATES PATENT IOFFI CEaArLnoAo .Tonen-no sermon Lawrence 1T. Kirk, Aibevlle, 'S. C.

Appticaton February 19, 1944,5eriazlNo. 523,153

Claims.

This invention relates to fa torpedo :placer and it is oneobj-ect lofthe invention vtoprovidea device of this :character by yuse of which atorpedo used as a lsignal upon railway tracks maybe applied 'to a railand rrnly secured thereon from a moving train r4or while 4standing uponthe track.

Another object of the invention is to provi-ide a torpedo placer havingan elongated handle provided with va hand -grip at its upper fend and atits lower end provided with l.means for releasably holding a torpedo insuch manner `th'atloy 'thrusting the handle downwardly into engagementwith Ithe tread of fa rail 'the torpedo may he vquickly applied 'in firmgripping engagement 'with the rail.

Another Vobject', yof the invention :is to provide a torpedo placer.having jaws at the lower end loi" its 'handle so Vmounted that .as theydevice is thrust downwardly `into engagement with the :rail the jawswill be moved to bend the strap of the torpedo .into gripping engagementwithfopposite side portions of the head .ofthe rail. y

Another .object of the invention 'is to lprovide the device 4with levers`engaged with ends of 'a spring serving to normally .hold :the levers`in a retracted position but `permitting :the :levers to be swungoutwardly :to act upon :arms :of the jaws and move the jaws ,downwardlyand Ainwardly to apply the torpedo to the rail.

Another object of the invention is to provide the device with springfingers so mounted that they may have gripping Lengagement with eppositesides of the torpedo and iirmly, :but :releasably, hold the torpedo inplace within -a lyoke to which the jaws are pivotally mounted, the:spring lingers preventing accidental I'displacement .of the torpedo butallowing displacement of the 'torpedo from the device after end portionsof its strap have been bent into engagement Vwith the rail.

Another object of the invention `is to provide a device of thischaracter having a guide for straddling a rail and directing movementthereof towards the rail while applying a `torpedo to the rail.

The invention lis illustrated inthe accompanying drawings wherein:

'Figure 1 is a view in elevation 'looking at the front of the improvedtorpedo placer.

Figure 2 -is a side elevation thereof.

'Figure 3 is a view looking at the `lower end of the torpedo placer.

'Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of`Figure `1. f

Figure '5 is a view showing the 'lower portion of the torpedo 'placerprincipally in vertical resection and partially elevation.

Figure f6 is a perspective View of fone jaw'oi the device.

Figure 7 is fa view of a torpedo to )be .appliedito a rail ipy means of'theirnproved placer.

This improved torpedo placer has a handle il which may be formed of woodor other suitable material and is of such length that amernher .of atrain crew 'can easily "reach a :rail R of-'a 'track alongwhich a trainismoving while standing upon the train 4at the hack thereof. A hand grip2 of the 'type used upon lshovels and similar implements is provided at:the .upper 'end ofthe handle order 'that "the handle may be 'held andthrust downwardly while applying a torpedo .to a rail. While it has beenstated 'that the torpedo 'is Uapplied by a person standing -upon la:moving train it is 1to 'be understood :that the Vdevice may also beused '-by a person 'standing upon the 'track :tor applying a 'torpedo'at 1a suitable distance :back of a train 'which has 'been brought to astop.

At its `lower end the handle I car-ries a plate I3 which projects `from'opposite sides lof lt'he handle and has 'its end l-portions lrolled'Ito iorm hinge sleeves fil to which lupper ends-of levers i5 are*pivotally connected by pins 6. A screw 1 serves 'to secure fthe plate 3against the lower end of the handle and this :screw `also serves tosecure Aa shield "8 having lips S and afspaoer plate 'l0 which isrdisposed between plates `3 and 8. The jaws ll are formed from strips ofstii sheet `metal and each strip is '-bent to fform -a iiange l2 at thelower end of the Ajaw having its 4lower `edge formed with anotc'h I'3mid-way its width. Substantially 'midway its length Itliestrip iscrimped to forma hinge member i4 of ydou-ble y'thickness carrying asleeve .f5 to receive an endhariof a rectangular yoke y116 and pivotallyconnect ythe jaw with the yoke.

A 1notch Fl is formed midway the length of the sleeve t5, the notches I3and I1 being .in such relation to each other that when the torpedo 1'8is :applied Ito the yoke its straps 1.59 may pass through the companionnotches yand then be 'bent over lthe flanges and lower ends of the jawsas shown :in 'Figure l1. Upper portions ci the :strips from which the'jaws .are for-med constitute arms 21B having inwardly :projecting lipsor `iianges 2| at their upperends for engaging the levers .5 fandlimiting pivotal movement of the jaws about the pins 22 whichl:pivota-lly connect `the Jaws with the levers. These pins pass throughsleeves 23 lat lower rends :of the levers 5 and also through sleeves 24:formed .from tongues struck Lfrom the arms, and referring to Figure .6.it will Aloe seen that the sleeves 24 of each arm are spaced from eachother so that hooks 25 at ends of a helical spring 26 may be engagedabout the pins 22 and mount the spring between the levers where it willserve to normally hold the levers retracted and the jaws extended asshown in Figure 1 with the lips 2| of their arms 20 bearing againstouter faces of the levers. By so forming and mounting the jaws thedevice may be held in one hand with the handle depending and the jawsuppermost and a torpedo fitted through the yoke and its tongues orstraps bent into engagement with the jaws. As the torpedo is thrustthrough the yoke or frame I6 resilient fingers 21 are sprung intoposition for their free lower ends to engage in grooves at opposite endsof the torpedo and when the device is turned to the applying positionshown in Figures 1 and 2 the torpedo will be well supported andprevented from slipping downwardly through the yoke.

When the device is in use the torpedo is applied to the yoke and itsstraps engaged with the flanges of lips i2 of the jaws. The handle isgrasped by its hand hold or grip 2 and by reaching downwardly from therear end of a train the person operating the device may thrust itdownwardly towards the head or tread of a rail. A guide 28 which isformed of stiif metal is disposed vertically at the front of the handlewith its shank 29 secured thereto by screws 30 and its arms or forks 3|extending downwardly in diverging relation to each other and projectingfrom opposite sides of the handle. The forks are of such length anddisposed in such diverging relation to each other that they may straddlethe rail to which the torpedo is to/be applied as shown in Figure 1. Thehandle is so held that the guide is disposed in the direction in whichthe train is moving and as the device is thrust downwardly the forks orarms of the guide will direct the device downwardly and center it overthe rail. As the device is thrust downwardly the frame or yoke carryingthe torpedo engages the tread face of the rail head and continueddownward movement depresses the handle and causes the levers -5 to beswung outwardly towards the position shown in Figure 5. As the leversswing outwardly they act upon the arms 20 of the jaws II and cause thejaws to be swung downwardly and inwardly towards opposite sides of therail and the straps will thus be bent against and under side portions ofthe head of the rail. 'I'he device is thrust downwardly quickly and withconsiderable force so that the jaws will be forced inwardly as soon asthe yoke makes contact with the rail and the device is then drawnupwardly so that the spring can return the jaws and the levers to theirnormally retracted position and leave the torpedo applied to the rail.Since opposite side edges of the rail head engage inner side edges ofthe forks of the guide when the device is thrust downwardly to theposition shown in Figure 5 the torpedo will be centered upon the treadof the rail in proper position to be exploded by a wheel of a trainpassing over it. A track walker or member of a train crew getting off ofa train applies the torpedo in the same manner except that he standsupon the track instead of thrusting downwardly from the rear end of amoving train.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A torpedo applying device comprising a handle, levers pivotallymounted at opposite sides of the lower end of said handle and extendingdownwardly therefrom, jaws having arms extending upwardly therefrom andeach having a hinge 'member at the junction of its upper end with itscompanion arm, said arms being pivoted in spaced relation to their upperand lower ends to lower ends of said levers, a yoke for holding atorpedo disposed under said handle with said hinge members pivoted toits opposite side portions and mounting the jaws for swinging movementfrom an extended position downwardly towards each other for bendingstraps of a torpedo into gripping engagement with side portions of arail head the free upper ends of the arms being flanged to engage thelevers to limit the movement of the jaws, and a spring between saidlevers secured at its ends to the said arms and normally holding thelevers and the jaws in a normal position.

2. Atorpedo applying device comprising a handle, levers pivotallymounted for lateral swinging movement at opposite sides of the lower endof said handle and extending downwardly therefrom. jaws formed with armsextending upwardly therefrom and pivotally mounted intermediate theirupper and lower ends to lower end of said levers the free ends of thearms engaging the levers to forms stops, a yoke for holding a torpedodisposed under said handle and having opposite side portions engagedwith the jaws at junction of the jaws with their arms to pivotally mountthe jaws for swinging movement from an extended position downwardlytoward each other to a torpedoapplying position, spring means normallyholding said levers retracted and the jaws extended, and means forguiding the yoke to a position centered upon the tread surface of a railhead and holding a torpedo centered thereof as the jaws are movedtowards opposite sides of the rail.

3. A torpedo applying device comprising a handle, a plate on the lowerend of the handle projecting out from the sides of the handle, a shieldbelow the plate, levers pivotally mounted at OD- posite sides of theplate for lateral swinging movement and normally extending downwardlytherefrom, jaws having arms extending upwardly therefrom and pivotallymounted intermediate their upper and lower ends to lower ends of saidlevers. a yoke for holding a torpedo disposed under said handle andhaving opposite side portions engaged with the jaws at junction of thejaws with their arms to pivotally mount the jaws and their arms forswinging movement from a normal position to a torpedo-applying position,and a spring extending between said levers a-nd anchored at its ends tolower ends of the levers to yieldably resistmovement of the levers to anextended position.

4. A torpedo applying device comprising a handle, levers pivotallymounted at opposite sides of the lower end of said handle and extendingdownwardly therefrom, jaws having arms extending upwardly therefrom andpivotally mounted intermediate their upper and lower ends to lower endsof said levers, a yoke for holding a torpedo disposed under said handleand having opposite side portions engaged with the jaws at junction ofthe jaws with their arms to pivotally mount the jaws for swingingmovement from an extendedposition downwardly toward each other to atorpedo-applying position, said yoke being of dimensions adapting it tohave a torpedo passed upwardly through the same with straps of thetorpedo projecting in opposite directions from the yoke and engaged withlower ends of the jaws, spring means yieldably resisting movement of thelevers outwardly and normally holding the jaws extended.

and spring ngers for gripping the torpedo above the yoke and holding thetorpedo in the yoke.

5. A torpedo applying device comprising a handle, levers pivotallymounted at the lower end of said handle and projecting downwardly fromopposite sides thereof, jaws having arms projecting from their upperends and hinge members at abutting ends of the jaws and their arms,tongues struck from said arms and rolled to form hinge sleeves spacedtransversely from each other, pins passing through said sleeves andthrough sleeves at lower ends of said levers to pivotally connect. thearms with the levers, ayoke for carrying a torpedo disposed horizontallybetween lower ends of said arms and having side portions passing throughthe hinge members to pivotally mount the jaws and their arms, and aspring extending between said levers with its ends anchored to portionsof the pins between the hinge sleeves, said spring being extended Vasthe handle is thrust downwardly to bring the yoke in engagement with arail head and swing the levers outwardly to rock the levers upon sideportions of the yoke and swing the jaws inwardly to a torpedo-applyingposition, and said spring when contracting returning the levers and thejaws to a normal position.

LAWRENCE T. KIRK.

